Junction box system for electric power cable installations



A218;- 13, 1932 wooDwoRTH i 1,871,938 morrow sox srs'm rdn :moms rowsn cum 'INSTALLATIONS 11116:! ,Jang 12, 1929 Patnfed Aeg. 16, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE LEON BYRON WOOD'WORTH, 0F JOEANNSBUBG, TRANSVAAL, UNION OF SOUTH AFRICA JUNCTION' BOX SYSTEM FOB ELECTRIC POWER CABLEINSTALLATIONS Application med January 12, 1929, Serial No. 882,173, and in the Union oi South Africa June 22, 1928.

The present invention refers to electricl power cable installations. The invention provides a system of cable junction boxes and ttings for use in connection therewith for 'f5 connectin a number of lengths of cable, for

taking o branch cables therefrom and for enabling portable electrically driven mai' chines such as coal cutters to be plugged into i the power line; the system being particular- 10 ly suitable for use in gassy mines by reason of all the connections being mechanically strong and with current carryin members fully enclosed, and by reason a so of the j underground work necessary for making or 16 unmaking connections being simplied and minimized.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanyin drawing in which Y Fig. is a diagrammatic viewV of a typical mine power cable installation according to the invention.

Fig. II is a er'spective view of a branched junction box tted with cable couplings.

. Fig. III shows a through unction box. p

i Fig. IV shows a cable en cap.v i' Fig. V a switch box attachment.

.Fig a box connection.

Referring to Fig. I, 2 indicates a main V', switch in the main cable line; which line is further constituted'bg junction boxes 3a, 3d, 3, 3f, standard lengt s of cable 4.

The main line box indicated by 3B is shown as providing for a branch circuit including a further series of boxes of which 3b has a connection for a'coal cutter 5: said connection comprising a plug box 6, a short trailing cable 7, a gate end switch 8 and the trailing cable 9 connected directly vto the .coal cutter 5. Box 3c in this branch is shown as provided with.a subsidiary cable .10 for a pump or the like 1l.

At the right hand end of the system is shown a collection of junction boxes 3d forming a distribution point for a number of adjacent power units, and mechanically connected by box connectors 12. One of these boxes is shown as fitted with a plug box 6 `and others with subsidiary cables 10.

Where the line traverses areas of the mine in which no work is being carried on, the

junction boxes are arranged for straight through connection. 3 indicates a branch box adapted for such use by closing its branch openings by caps 38; but preferably a throu box 3 is employed which has no branc openings. l

The standard branched junction box 3'L is used wherever branches are taken "oil or are likely to be required. This form of box 1s shown `1n Fig. II and is conveniently a. casting. It has an openl top fitted with a detachable cover 13 preferably provided with a machined iian e 14 for bolting it to the similar inward flange 15 of the box. The box has the opposite lateral openings 16 for sections of a through cable, and two (or sesl more) furthery lateral openings 17 for branch connections. l

All said openings are provided with xneans for securing a cable coupling to the box;f preferably a machined flange face '1'8 havlng studs19 for securing a similar flange of the coupling. For standardization purposes, the cable openings 16; 17 and the means for securing the cable couplings to them, also the box covers 13 and their fastenin s are identical in all the junction boxes of t e system.

A feature of the invention is a cable coupling which is completely secured mechanically to a cable and insulated from the leads thereof before it is secured to the box. A cable length can thus be completel. prepared at the surface and when brouor t under ground requires only sim le mechanical and electrical connection to junction. boxes already erected.

Such a coupling is shown in section at the right hand of Fig. II. It comprises a casing 2O of conical form, having at its larger end the drilled iange 21 for bolting to any of the flanges 18 of the junction boxes.

The cable 4 or l() enters the coupling at its smaller end. At this point the armouring 22 of the cable is opened out and a conical gun-metal plug 23 is placed over the lead sheathing 24 and beneath the opened-out armouring, expanding the latter into conical form similar to that of the interior of the casing. The plug 23 is split at one side as 100 sheathed cable porting the leads mine and while awaiting indicated at 25 or otherwise made somewhat contractible to grip the sheathing.

t is preferred to bind the armouring with wire 26; whereafter said wire 26, the loose ends oi the armouring 22, and the interior of the casing 20 are tinned. A layer ci molten; lead is then poured into the casing forming a plug 27 which incorporates the loose and preferably hooked ends 28 o the armouring and also solders the armouring to the casing.

Insulation `is provided at the larger end cf the casing.' This may consist of a cover plate 29 of insulating material screwed down I to an inward ilange 30 of the casing and havm an aperture 3l through which the unleads 32 extend. This cover plate serves the additional purpose ci sup- 32 and preventing their ing being bent or moved at their point ci einer gence from the sheathing 24. The cover late is formed with an aperture through which the space remaining in the casing is filled with insulating compound 29a. This aperture is closed by a screw ping 83 by.

whichl pressure can be applied to the compound to cause it to till the space completely.

To complete thepreparation of the cable the ends ci the leads 32 cnt to the proper length, provided with terminals 34, and taped. Both ends ot the cable being thus prepared, the cable is. ready orconnection to its junction boxes or other ittings.

The preparation et the cable ends would be done at the suriiace; and in order to protect them during transportation into the connection to the boxes, they are provided with protecting caps Fig.' IV. Such a cap consists o a tube 35 36 and provided at its other end with a lange 3'? similar to the flange 18 of the junction boxes. 'in use it is bolted to the iiange 21 oi the couplings.

A further fitting comprised in the system is a cap 38 for the box cable openings 16, 1T. This has a flange 39 and stud holes similar to those of the cable coupling, so that one of said caps may be secured to and close any desired cable opening of a box.V These caps are used for instance for closing any opening of an installed box which is not in use, as indicated by the numerals 38 in Fig. l. They are also used in conjunction with the cover 13 for sealing a box during the time it is being taken into the mine and erected.

The cable lengths having thus been prepared at the surface and transported underground, and the sealed boxes erected it is only necessary, in order to install the cables, to remove the box cover 13 and such box caps 38 as are no longer required, bolt the prepared couplings 20 in the place closed at its end of the removed caps, connect the leads with in the box and re-ix the cover 13.

In boxes used for connecting a main cable having been narines section to a branch cable or other lead, a ter- .minal block'. 40 o insulating material is provided. This is secured to the base of the block by screws 41 so that it may be removed from a box in which it is not required (e. g. the box 3 l) and also replaced when necessary. It has usually three upstanding ribs 42 'to separate the phases of a three phase system.

Between the ribs 42 are studs 43 secured to the block preferably by means ot a 'foot 44 into which the stud is screwed and which is itself fixed to the base plate by screws 45. The main cable terminals 34 are passed in pairs over the lower end of each stud and are secured by the nuts 46. An insulating division plate 47 is then passed over the studs to rest on the ribs42; and insulating bushes 48 are placed over the studs to illl the holes in the division. plate. The branch lead terminals 34 are secured to the upper ends of their respective studs 43 by pairs of nuts 49; the division pla-te 47 separating the branch leads .trom the main leads where they cross.

ln the case of a through or un-branched junction box, Fig. lll, a terminal block is not necessary, since the main terminal 34 can be directly bolted together as indicated. This form of box may be otherwise similar to the branched box above it has only the two opposite outlets 16.

Another unit of the system is the box connector 12 Fig. Vl. This may be a casting, and comprises a tubular body having at each end bolting flanges 5() identical with the lian es 21 oi the cable couplings. It is used as t e connection between a pair of boxes which are positioned close to one another and taires the place of and their cable. le is bolted between a pair oit boxes (e. g. 3 Fig. l) and may mechanically support one from the other. A short length of cable l is passed through it and conifiected in the boxes similarly to the main cab e.

A further unit of the system is a pluggingin box (i, having a bolting lian e 52 identical with the flange 21 of the cale couplings, whereby it can be connected directly to any junction box in the same way as the cable couplings.

There is also provided a loose flange 53, Figs. l and V having a jointing face 18.a and studs 19a similar to the face 18 and studs of the junction boxes, and having also other bolt holes 54. By means of the latter it can be bolted to a non-standard fitting such as the switch box 2, for the purpose of enabling the standard cable coupling to be attached to it in turn.

I claim:

1. The combination of an electric cable comprising sheathing and armouring, a cable described except that a pair of cable couplings smaller end of which the cable is inserted and having means at its larger end for mechanically securing it to a junction box, the cable armouring within the coupling being expanded to conical form, a conical pluginserted between such expanded armouring and the cable sheathing within the coupling,` a

plug cast in the casing beyond the conical plug and incorporating the ends of the ar- 10 mouring, cable leadsv extending from the larger end of the casing and insulation for sai leads contained in the casing. v

2. The combination of an electric cable comprising sheathing and armouring,.a cable 15 coupling comprising a conical casmg into the smaller end of which the cable is inserted and having means at its larger end for mechanically securing it to a Junction box, the cable armouring within the coupling 20 being expanded to conical form, a contractible conical plug contracted upon the sheathing and holding the armouring in conical form, further means to secure the armouring within the casing, cable leads extending from the larger end of the casing and insulation for said leads contained in said casing.

3. The combination of an electric cable comprising sheathing and armouring, a cable coupling comprising a conical casing into the smallerend of which the cable is inserted and having means at its larger end for securing -it to a junction box, the cable armouring within the coupling being expanded to conical form, a conical solderable metal plug inserted between such expanded armouring and the cable sheathing within the coupling casing and soldering metal cast in the casing to orm a plug at the larger end of the conical plug incorporating the ends of n the armouring and to solder to ether the cable sheathing, the armouring, t e conical plug and the casing.

4. The combination with an electric cable coupling casing Within which the cable is mechanicallivr fixed, said casing being proa/"icln ed at its free end with a iiange for bolting it to a junction box, and a cover closin the free end of the casing and provided with a ange, said iiange being bolted to the llange 79 of the casing.

In testimony whereof l ax my siena'tnre LEON BYRON noem/voisin 

